Un Kannil Neer
From Vietnam Veedu · 1970
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Details
- Vietnam Veedu1970
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| { Un kannil neer | { If tears flow from your eyes |
| Vazhinthaal en nenjil | In my heart, |
| Uthiram kottuthadi } (2) | Blood spills, my dear } (2) |
| Male | |
| En kannil | In my eye, |
| Paavai andro | Are you not the pupil? |
| Kannamma enuyir | Kannamma, my very life |
| Ninnathandro… | Is yours, is it not... |
| Male | |
| Un kannil neer | If tears flow from your eyes |
| Vazhinthaal en nenjil | In my heart, |
| Uthiram kottuthadi | Blood spills, my dear |
| Male | |
| { Unnai karam | { The moment I held your hand, |
| Pidithen vaazhkai | My entire life |
| Olimayamaanathadi } (2) | Became filled with bright light } (2) |
| Male | |
| Unnai mananthathanaal | Because I wedded you, |
| Sabaiyil pugazhum valarnthathadi | My honor and fame grew in society |
| Male | |
| Un kannil neer | If tears flow from your eyes |
| Vazhinthaal en nenjil | In my heart, |
| Uthiram kottuthadi | Blood spills, my dear |
| Male | |
| Kaala sumaithaangi | Like a rest-stop load-bearer of time, |
| Polae maarbil enai thaangi | Holding me close to your chest, |
| Veezhum kanneer thudaipaai | You wipe my falling tears, |
| Adhil en innal thaniyumadi | And in that, my anguish subsides, my dear |
| Male | |
| { Aalam vizhuthugal pol | { Like the aerial prop roots of a banyan tree, |
| Uravu aayiram vanthum enna } (2) | What use are a thousand relatives who gather? } (2) |
| Ver ena nee irunthaai adhil | You remained as the true tap root, and because of that, |
| Naan veezhnthu vidaathirunthen | I did not fall to the ground |
| Male | |
| Un kannil neer | If tears flow from your eyes |
| Vazhinthaal en nenjil | In my heart, |
| Uthiram kottuthadi | Blood spills, my dear |
| Male | |
| Mullil padukaiyitu | Laying me on a bed of thorns, |
| Imaiyai moodavidathirukum | Preventing my eyelids from shutting, |
| Pillai kulamadiyo ennai | Is it my own line of children, |
| Pethamai seithadhadi | That rendered me helpless and foolish? |
| Male | |
| { Peruku pillai undu | { Children exist merely for name's sake, |
| Pesum pechuku sonthamundu } (2) | Relatives exist only for superficial talk } (2) |
| { En thevaiyai yaar arivaar } (2) | { Who truly understands my inner needs? } (2) |
| Unnai pol deivam ondrae ariyum | Only a divine soul like you knows |
| Male | |
| Un kannil neer | If tears flow from your eyes |
| Vazhinthaal en nenjil | In my heart, |
| Uthiram kottuthadi | Blood spills, my dear |
| Male | |
| En kannil | In my eye, |
| Paavai andro | Are you not the pupil? |
| Kannamma enuyir | Kannamma, my very life |
| Ninnathandro | Is yours, is it not |
| Male | |
| Un kannil neer | If tears flow from your eyes |
| Vazhinthaal en nenjil | In my heart |
{ உன் கண்ணில்
நீர் வழிந்தால் என்
நெஞ்சில் உதிரம்
கொட்டுதடி } (2)
{ If tears flow from your eyes
In my heart,
Blood spills, my dear } (2)
என் கண்ணில்
பாவை அன்றோ
கண்ணம்மா என்னுயிர்
நின்னதன்றோ
In my eye,
Are you not the pupil?
Kannamma, my very life
Is yours, is it not...
உன் கண்ணில்
நீர் வழிந்தால் என்
நெஞ்சில் உதிரம்
கொட்டுதடி
If tears flow from your eyes
In my heart,
Blood spills, my dear
{ உன்னை
கரம் பிடித்தேன்
வாழ்க்கை ஒளிமயம்
ஆனதடி } (2)
{ The moment I held your hand,
My entire life
Became filled with bright light } (2)
உன்னை
மணந்ததனால் சபையில்
புகழும் வளர்ந்ததடி
Because I wedded you,
My honor and fame grew in society
உன் கண்ணில்
நீர் வழிந்தால் என்
நெஞ்சில் உதிரம்
கொட்டுதடி
If tears flow from your eyes
In my heart,
Blood spills, my dear
கால சுமைதாங்கி
போலே மார்பில் எனை
தாங்கி வீழும் கண்ணீர்
துடைப்பாய் அதில் என்
இன்னல் தணியுமடி
Like a rest-stop load-bearer of time,
Holding me close to your chest,
You wipe my falling tears,
And in that, my anguish subsides, my dear
{ ஆழம் விழுதுகள்
போல் உறவு ஆயிரம்
வந்தும் என்ன } (2)
வேர் என நீ இருந்தாய்
அதில் நான் வீழ்ந்து
விடாதிருந்தேன்
{ Like the aerial prop roots of a banyan tree,
What use are a thousand relatives who gather? } (2)
You remained as the true tap root, and because of that,
I did not fall to the ground
உன் கண்ணில்
நீர் வழிந்தால் என்
நெஞ்சில் உதிரம்
கொட்டுதடி
If tears flow from your eyes
In my heart,
Blood spills, my dear
முள்ளில்
படுக்கையிட்டு இமையை
மூடவிடாதிருக்கும் பிள்ளை
குலமடியோ என்ன பேதமை
செய்ததடி
Laying me on a bed of thorns,
Preventing my eyelids from shutting,
Is it my own line of children,
That rendered me helpless and foolish?
{ பேருக்கு பிள்ளை
உண்டு பேசும் பேச்சுக்கு
சொந்தமுண்டு } (2)
{ என் தேவையை யார்
அறிவார் } (2)
உன்னை போல் தெய்வம்
ஒன்றே அறியும்
{ Children exist merely for name's sake,
Relatives exist only for superficial talk } (2)
{ Who truly understands my inner needs? } (2)
Only a divine soul like you knows
உன் கண்ணில்
நீர் வழிந்தால் என்
நெஞ்சில் உதிரம்
கொட்டுதடி
If tears flow from your eyes
In my heart,
Blood spills, my dear
என் கண்ணில்
பாவை அன்றோ
கண்ணம்மா என்னுயிர்
நின்னதன்றோ
In my eye,
Are you not the pupil?
Kannamma, my very life
Is yours, is it not
உன் கண்ணில்
நீர் வழிந்தால் என்
நெஞ்சில்
If tears flow from your eyes
In my heart
{ Un kannil neer
{ If tears flow from your eyes
Vazhinthaal en nenjil
In my heart,
Uthiram kottuthadi } (2)
Blood spills, my dear } (2)
En kannil
In my eye,
Paavai andro
Are you not the pupil?
Kannamma enuyir
Kannamma, my very life
Ninnathandro…
Is yours, is it not...
Un kannil neer
If tears flow from your eyes
Vazhinthaal en nenjil
In my heart,
Uthiram kottuthadi
Blood spills, my dear
{ Unnai karam
{ The moment I held your hand,
Pidithen vaazhkai
My entire life
Olimayamaanathadi } (2)
Became filled with bright light } (2)
Unnai mananthathanaal
Because I wedded you,
Sabaiyil pugazhum valarnthathadi
My honor and fame grew in society
Un kannil neer
If tears flow from your eyes
Vazhinthaal en nenjil
In my heart,
Uthiram kottuthadi
Blood spills, my dear
Kaala sumaithaangi
Like a rest-stop load-bearer of time,
Polae maarbil enai thaangi
Holding me close to your chest,
Veezhum kanneer thudaipaai
You wipe my falling tears,
Adhil en innal thaniyumadi
And in that, my anguish subsides, my dear
{ Aalam vizhuthugal pol
{ Like the aerial prop roots of a banyan tree,
Uravu aayiram vanthum enna } (2)
What use are a thousand relatives who gather? } (2)
Ver ena nee irunthaai adhil
You remained as the true tap root, and because of that,
Naan veezhnthu vidaathirunthen
I did not fall to the ground
Un kannil neer
If tears flow from your eyes
Vazhinthaal en nenjil
In my heart,
Uthiram kottuthadi
Blood spills, my dear
Mullil padukaiyitu
Laying me on a bed of thorns,
Imaiyai moodavidathirukum
Preventing my eyelids from shutting,
Pillai kulamadiyo ennai
Is it my own line of children,
Pethamai seithadhadi
That rendered me helpless and foolish?
{ Peruku pillai undu
{ Children exist merely for name's sake,
Pesum pechuku sonthamundu } (2)
Relatives exist only for superficial talk } (2)
{ En thevaiyai yaar arivaar } (2)
{ Who truly understands my inner needs? } (2)
Unnai pol deivam ondrae ariyum
Only a divine soul like you knows
Un kannil neer
If tears flow from your eyes
Vazhinthaal en nenjil
In my heart,
Uthiram kottuthadi
Blood spills, my dear
En kannil
In my eye,
Paavai andro
Are you not the pupil?
Kannamma enuyir
Kannamma, my very life
Ninnathandro
Is yours, is it not
Un kannil neer
If tears flow from your eyes
Vazhinthaal en nenjil
In my heart
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song expresses deep love, devotion, and mutual reliance between a husband and wife in their golden years. The singer laments that even a single tear from his beloved's eyes causes intense physical and emotional pain in his heart, equivalent to bleeding. He reflects on how her entry into his life brought light and societal respect, and how she stood by him as a steadfast root while superficial relatives and ungrateful children failed to offer true comfort in times of adversity.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Hyperbole (Uruvagaimai)
“Un kannil neer vazhinthaal en nenjil uthiram kottuthadi”
Exaggerating emotional sorrow to a physical degree by describing tears in the beloved's eyes as blood pouring from the speaker's heart.
Simile (Upamai)
“Aalam vizhuthugal pol uravu aayiram vanthum enna / Ver ena nee irunthaai”
Comparing relatives to banyan prop roots ('aalam vizhuthugal') and the wife to the solid taproot ('ver') that prevents him from collapsing.
Metaphor (Uruvagamb/Uruvam)
“Kaala sumaithaangi polae maarbil enai thaangi”
Comparing the wife to a rest-stop stone pillar ('kaala sumaithaangi') that absorbs his life burdens.
Emonai (Tamil Rhyme/Alliteration)
“Peruku pillai undu / Pesum pechuku sonthamundu”
Initial letter rhyming in Tamil poetic structure (e.g., Peruku / Pesum).
Did you know?
Trivia
Although featured in the movie 'Vietnam Veedu' (1970) starring Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini, the core lines 'Un Kannil Neer Vazhinthal' are adapted from the iconic poem 'Kannamma En Thayai' composed originally by the legendary revolutionary poet Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiyar.
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